Under the Radar Game of the Day – Tuesday, January 13, 2015: Stephen F. Austin at Central Arkansas

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of today’s highlighted games, CLICK HERE.

Stephen F. Austin at Central Arkansas, 8:00 PM Eastern, No TV

In 2010-11, the Centenary Gents played their final season as a Division I team — a very un-noteworthy year in which they went 1-29, with only a late season win over Western Illinois keeping them from having one of the worst seasons in Division I history.  In honor of their final season at the D1 level, we here at HOOPS HD kept them on our mock committee “Under Consideration” board, despite the Gents not even qualifying for the Summit League tournament.  We then went one step further the next season, christening the annual “Centenary Award” in honor of the worst team in Division I.

In 2012, Towson won the award, thanks in part to a huge first round America East tournament win by Binghamton.  The win by Towson was not without controversy, but in the end, the Tigers were chosen.  In 2013, an 0-28 Grambling team ran away with the award.  Last season, Southern Utah claimed the crown with a 2-27 performance.  This season, the preseason favorite for the award was Florida A&M.  FAMU is presently 0-16 and appears well on their way to the title.  However, the Central Arkansas Bears are right on their heels, sitting at 0-14 heading into tonight’s game.  And, given who their opponent is tonight, it may be a bigger upset than Texas Southern winning at Michigan State for the Bears to not be 0-15 after tonight.

Central Arkansas will be hosting the clear favorite to represent the Southland Conference again in the NCAA tournament, the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks.  SFA enters tonight’s game on an 11 game winning streak, which includes a win at Memphis and a home win over Long Beach State.  Despite the 12-4 record and a legitimate chance to run the table in the Southland (a game January 24 at Sam Houston State may decide if that happens), SFA most likely will need to win the SLC’s automatic bid if they want to return to the NCAAs.  Perhaps the biggest reason is that any loss in conference play, including a loss in the conference tournament, would be a bad loss on their resume.  Given that the Lumberjacks lack any truly noteworthy wins,, it is difficult to imagine an at-large bid coming their way should they falter.  Obviously, a loss tonight to one of the worst teams in D1 would be devastating to any slim chance for an at-large bid that may exist.

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Highlighted Games For Tuesday, Jan 13th

Posted on January 13, 2015 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES

-There were three major upsets on Saturday with Duke, Arizona and Wisconsin all losing conference road games to teams that currently don’t appear to be anywhere close to making the NCAA Tournament.  We’ll see how things play out.

-There was no Bracket Racket this week due to other commitments that our staff and panelists had.  We will get back into the regular swing of things later on this week with Under the Radar and the Bracket Rundown.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-VIRGINIA TECH AT LOUISVILLE (ACC).  Louisville is coming off a close loss in what was a very exciting game to UNC.  The loss wasn’t at all damaging, and if anything it proved that Louisville can play on the road against tough teams.  Tonight they’re at home against a team that isn’t really that tough.

-OKLAHOMA STATE AT KANSAS (Big Twelve).  Oklahoma State has a good record and has cracked the rankings.  They’re coming off their first big win of the year against Texas.  Winning this one on the road is a much taller order, though.

-OKLAHOMA AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big Twelve).  These are two top twenty teams who can add a big win to their resume tonight.

-ARKANSAS AT TENNESSEE (SEC).  Arkansas has been a huge surprise this year, and they’ve even shown they can win on the road.  They’re ranked in the top twenty, and deservedly so.

-BUTLER AT SETON HALL (Big East).  Butler is good, but has room to improve and build upon their profile.  Seton Hall has been a huge surprise this year and is still in the rankings.  They’re tough to beat at home.

-PENN STATE AT INDIANA (Big Ten).  Both teams are bubblish, if they’re even that good.  There is a sense of urgency for both teams.

-MICHIGAN AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten).  Ohio State will still be celebrating.  Within 24 hours they can win the national title in football and knock off their hated rivals in basketball.  I’m a little worried because Kyle Lamb was last left unsupervised.

-VCU AT RHODE ISLAND (Atlantic Ten).  Rhody is having a really nice year at 11-3 and they’ve won their first three conference games.  They need a big win like this to get the attention of the committee, though.

-CLEMSON AT VIRGINIA (ACC).  Virginia remains unbeaten.  They’re ranked #2 and they’re not overrated.

-NORTHERN IOWA AT BRADLEY (Missouri Valley).  This is a very good UNI team who shouldn’t have too much trouble picking up this conference road win.

-WAKE FOREST AT SYRACUSE (ACC).  I keep thinking Syracuse is having a down year, but they are a very respective 12-4 and have won their first three ACC games.

-SFA AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS (Southland).  SFA needs to win out just to get into the conversation.

-MISSOURI AT KENTUCKY (SEC).  Kentucky has struggled in their last two games, which was surprising.  They’re at home tonight against a team that is traditionally awful on the road, but is improving.

-MIAMI FL AT DUKE (ACC).  Duke is coming off a surprising loss.  Miami has fallen onto the bubble and their resume could use some work.  An upset win in a game like this would certainly do the trick.

-GEORGETOWN AT DEPAUL (Big East).  This is a winnable road game for Georgetown, and they need to get it.

-IOWA AT MINNESOTA (Big Ten).  Iowa has some big wins, but their profile is a little inconsistent.  This is the kind of road game that they should be expected to win if they really are a solid tournament team.

-ALABAMA AT SOUTH CAROLINA (SEC).  Alabama has just three losses, and got their first road win in quite some time over the weekend.  South Carolina has lost two straight after their big win against Iowa State, and needs to turn it around if they want to get back inside the bubble.

-UNLV AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West).  Both teams need to turn it around in a hurry if they want to be safely in the field.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – Monday, January 12, 2015: Savannah State at North Carolina Central

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Chad

Savannah State at North Carolina Central, 7:30 PM Eastern, No TV

While most of the world is busy following some fairly significant football game tonight, we here at Hoops HD will instead be tracking the exciting Under the Radar slate of hoops games tonight, including our Game of the Day, the MEAC battle between Savannah State and North Carolina Central.  Savannah State enters tonight’s game at 4-11 on the season, with only 2 of those 4 wins coming over D1 competition.  The Tigers are a sub-300 team in the RPI, BPI and KenPom.  They have not beaten a Division I team since November 22.  Tonight is their second conference game of the season and if they are going to turn the season around, it needs to start right now.  Alante Fenner, Terel Hall and Saadiq Muhammad are the key players for the Tigers.

It is, of course, the Tigers’ opponent tonight that is the main reason this game was elevated to the UTR Game of the Day.  North Carolina Central enters tonight’s game with a solid 11-5 record, including being 3-0 in early MEAC play.  The Eagles hold the best RPI, BPI and KenPom ratings in the conference and are our current pick to represent the MEAC in the NCAA tournament (though it is worth noting that the MEAC tournament has historically been one of the most upset-prone tournaments out there).  NC Central has played tough all season, including only losing by 11 to Maryland and by 9 to Cincinnati.  The Eagles are led by Dante Holmes and Jordan Parks.  Parks has already scored 30 or more points twice this season.  Also keep an eye on Nimrod Hilliard, who dropped 25 points earlier this season against Jackson State.  As long as this team keeps playing the way they have done so far, they should not only win tonight but be in position for the top seed in the MEAC tournament in March and a solid shot at the conference’s NCAA bid.

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Highlighted Games for Sunday, Jan 11th

Posted on January 11, 2015 by David Griggs

For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE

-NORTHWESTERN AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten).  Michigan State is close to the edge right now and cannot afford a home loss to a sub-tournament team.

-DUKE AT NC STATE (ACC).  Duke is a potential #1 seed, and NC State needs to win some big games just to get into the conversation.

-SMU AT UCF (American).  SMU can still play their way in, but they have a very small margin for error.

-SOUTH FLORIDA AT TULANE (American).  Like SMU, it’s possible for Tulane to play their way in, but they have a small margin for error, and although they are much improved they may not be good enough to hold up.

-WICHITA STATE AT LOYOLA IL (Missouri Valley).  We are currently projecting Loyola to be just inside the bubble.  They have a good record, and just picked up a quality road win at Evansville.  If they can pull off the big win today at home, It adds to what is already a much improved resume.

-WISCONSIN AT RUTGERS (Big Ten).  Rutgers hasn’t been completely awful this year, but they’re still a sub NIT team and Wisky shouldn’t have too much trouble.

-CALIFORNIA AT UCLA (Pac Twelve.  We currently have Cal out, and UCLA way out, so it’s a big game for both teams who are looking to improve.

-FLORIDA STATE AT SYRACUSE (ACC).  Syracuse has looked better, but they can’t afford a home loss to a team that’s currently outside the bubble.

-YOUNGSTOWN STATE AT GREEN BAY (Horizon League).  It’s the same story with Green Bay.  If they win out they’ll be inside the bubble.

-ILLINOIS AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten).  Illinois is right on the bubble and could use a notable road win against a Nebraska team that has struggled this year.

-ARIZONA AT OREGON STATE (Pac Twelve).  Arizona got a big road win earlier in the week and can pick up another tonight.

-STANFORD AT USC (Pac Twelve).  Stanford kind of blew it against UCLA earlier in the week.  Tonight is the kind of game you should expect them to be able to win on the road.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – Sunday, January 11, 2015: Murray State at Jacksonville State

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Chad

Murray State at Jacksonville State, 6:00 PM Eastern, CBS Sports Network

The UTR Game of the Day heads from Jacksonville, Florida yesterday to Jacksonville, Alabama today as the Jacksonville State Gamecocks host the Murray State Racers in Ohio Valley Conference play.  The visiting Racers enter this evening’s game with a record of 12-4, including being 2-0 in conference.  Their RPI (107), BPI (84) and KenPom (83) are all best in the OVC to date.  The Racers have won 10 games in a row, including wins over Evansville and Illinois State, both solid programs out of the Missouri Valley Conference.  While a 2-4 start to the season had us questioning whether this Murray State team would really be as good as we thought they were, they are one of the hottest teams in the country right now and look poised to run through the OVC on their way to an NCAA tournament bid.

Jacksonville State will be looking to cool off the Racers tonight.  The Gamecocks enter the game with a record of 8-9 overall and 1-2 in OVC play.  While the have struggles so far this season, all 9 of their losses did come on the road.  The Gamecocks will be looking to improve on their 7-0 home court record in order to pull off the upset tonight.  D.J. Felder will need to lead the way for the upset to happen.  He dropped 18 points and pulled down 9 rebounds, just missing the double-double, against Austin Peay in a win three nights ago.  A repeat performance tonight could leave the Gamecocks celebrating a victory.

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Highlighted Games for Saturday, Jan 10th

Posted on January 10, 2015 by David Griggs

For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE

-CINCINNATI AT CONNECTICUT (American).  I get the impression that UConn is outside the bubble and that Cincinnati is just barely inside of it, so it’s a very pivotal game for both teams.

-OHIO STATE AT INDIANA (Big Ten).  Ohio State has had some big wins recently, and can pick up another one today.  Indiana has slipped some and could use a big win themselves.

-GEORGETOWN AT PROVIDENCE (Big East).  Both teams look like potential NCAA teams and can add another notable conference win to their profile.

-GEORGE WASHINGTON AT LA SALLE (Atlantic Ten).  I’ve been very impressed with GW so far and they should be able to add another road win to their profile.

-KENTUCKY AT TEXAS A&M (SEC).  Kentucky appears to be cruising to being the #1 overall seed.

-MINNESOTA AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten).  Both teams are still outside the bubble and really need to win this.  In fact they need to win this and do a lot more.

-BUFFALO AT WESTERN MICHIGAN (MAC).  Buffalo can end up inside the bubble if they can dominate the MAC.

-LOUISVILLE AT NORTH CAROLINA (ACC).  Louisville has a good team, but this would be their most impressive true road win to date if they can pull it off.  UNC has dropped some games you would have expected them to win, but they’re still a really good team.

-SAINT JOSEPH’S AT VCU (Atlantic Ten).  VCU continues to improve and build their resume as the season goes on.  Like all previous years, they seem to be getting better as the season plays out.

-EVANSVILLE AT BRADLEY (Missouri Valley).  Evansville is outside the bubble and needs to really kick it into gear if they want any shot at all of making the field.

-COLORADO STATE AT AIR FORCE (Mountain West, Front Range).  Colorado State has dropped their last two games after a very impressive start, and they can’t afford to lose on the road to an Air Force team that won’t end up anywhere near the NCAA Tournament.

-ALABAMA AT TENNESSEE (SEC).  Alabama hasn’t won a true road game since the 2-12-2013 season, and if they want any hope of making the NCAA Tournament that needs to change.

-SETON HALL AT CREIGHTON (Big East).  Seton Hall is in the rankings, but they need to win some big games away from home in order to sustain that they are legitimately a top 25 team.

-MARYLAND AT PURDUE (Big Ten).  Maryland has had a very impressive year and this is a winnable conference road game for them.

-TEXAS TECH AT KANSAS (Big Twelve).  Kansas shouldn’t have too much trouble winning this one.

-TULSA AT TEMPLE (American).  Temple continues to impress and they shouldn’t have too much trouble picking up this conference win today.

-WASHINGTON STATE AT WASHINGTON (Pac Twelve).  It’s basketball’s version of the Apple Cup.  This is a big rivarly, but this year it appears to be a mismatch.  It would be rather damaging to the Huskies if they weren’t able to pull this off at home.

-DEPAUL AT VILLANOVA (Big East).  Nova should roll at home and remain in contention for a #1 seed.

-BAYLOR AT TCU (Big Twelve).  This is a rivalry game that has a lot riding on it for a TCU team that bloated out its record against weak OOC opponents, but hasn’t done much since conference play started.  Both teams are still looking for their first conference win.

-BOSTON COLLEGE AT MIAMI FL (ACC).  Miami is on the outside looking in right now and cannot afford to lose this game.

-VANDERBILT AT ARKANSAS (SEC).  No one is all that excited about Vandy, and perhaps there is no reason to be, but they are 11-3 and if they win today they’ll be worth paying attention to.

-XAVIER AT BUTLER (Big East).  Xavier is on the bubble and needs to win some notable games on the road in order to wind up safely inside of it.  Butler is slightly safer, but still has some work to do.  This is turning in to a conference rivalry, so it’s always fun when these two get together.

-TEXAS AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Texas was pasted against Oklahoma earlier this week.  Okie State has a good record, but lacks good wins so far, so there is something at stake for both teams.

-SOUTH CAROLINA AT OLE MISS (SEC).  This is Ole Miss’s first game since nearly upsetting Kentucky on the road, which shows they do have some potential.  South Carolina is coming off a disappointing loss as well.  Both teams have shown they can play, but both still have a lot of work to do.

-OLD DOMINION AT WESTERN KENTUCKY (SEC).  ODU is clearly the best team in the league right now, and this will be one of their tougher road games.

-VIRGINIA AT NOTRE DAME (ACC).  This is going to be a very tough road game for an unbeaten and highly ranked Virginia team.  Notre Dame has shown they can play, and they’ll be looking for a showcase win in front of their fans that will also go a long way toward building on a resume that’s already pretty good.

-BOISE STATE AT WYOMING (Mountain West).  Wyoming has just two losses and picked up a huge road win against rival Colorado State earlier this week.  If they keep playing like that they’ll be dancing.

-KANSAS STATE AT OKLAHOMA (Big Twelve).  Oklahoma should cruise against a K State team who has really struggled this year.

-DAYTON AT FORDHAM (Atlantic Ten).  Dayton is undermatched despite this being a conference road game.

-SAINT LOUIS AT DAVIDSON (Atlantic Ten).  Davidson has a nice record, but no good wins, which means they have a very small margin for error, which means losing a home game like this could kill them.

-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT FLORIDA (SEC).  The Gators have a lot of work to do.

-SANTA CLARA AT GONZAGA (West Coast).  Like many of Gonzaga’s conference games, this is a league game that will look like a buy game.

-IOWA STATE AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big Twelve).  Both teams are good, but both have room to improve.  WVU still doesn’t have a big time notable win, and Iowa State could use a big true road win.  Both also come in 2-0 in the league.

-LMU AT BYU (West Coast).  BYU had a damaging loss earlier in the week that will be hard to recover from.

-SOUTHERN MISS AT UTEP (Conference USA).  UTEP’s margin of error is so small that any loss between now and the end may be too much.

-GEORGIA AT LSU (SEC).  Georgia has looked good, but needs some notable road wins if they want to get into the conversation.  LSU is still in decent shape, but they need to rebound from the loss at Missouri.

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